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T. B. THORNDYKE. MEGHANIGAL THEATER;

No. 564,853. Patented July 28, 1896.

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THOMAS E. THORNDYKE, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

MECHANICAL THEATER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 564,853, dated July 28,1896.

Application filed October 12, 1895. Serial No. 565,460. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS B. THORNDYKE, of New York city, in the countyand State of New York, have invented a new and Improved MechanicalTheater, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to coin-operated machines; and its object is toprovide a new and improved mechanical theater arranged with anautomatically rising and falling curtain, dancing figures, music, due.

The invent-ion consists principally of one or more figures adapted to bemoved from the wings of a miniature stage upon a movable platform on thestage-floor to cause the figures to dance upon setting the platform inmotion.

The invention also consists of certain parts and details andcombinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter, andthen pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a transverse section of the improvement. Fig. 2 is asectional front elevation of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. '1. Fig. 3is a sectional plan View of the lower part of the improvement, showingthe motor and mechanism for operating the various parts. Fig. 4 is asectional side elevation of part of the mechanism on the line 4 4 ofFig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5 5 in Fig. 3, and Fig. 6is a transverse section of the same on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

The improved mechanical theater is arranged in a suitably-constructedcasing A, representing a miniature theater-building and formed with thelower part A and the top or stage part A set on the said lower part A,as is plainly illustrated in the drawings. The top of the lower part Aforms the stage-floor B, having a movable platform B, upon which thefigures C are adapted to dance, said platform being preferably of theconstruction shown and described in the Letters Patent of the UnitedStates for a dancing toy, No. 512,589, granted to me on January 9, 1894.The figures O are visible through an opening A in the front of the toppart A said opening being normally closed, however, by a curtain D,adapted to be automatically raised and lowered, as hereinafter morefully described.

A coin-chute E extends from the inside of the lower part A through thefront thereof to the outside, so that a coin can be passed into the saidchute, the coin causing an unlocking of a motor F, preferably in theform of clockwork, and adapted to actuate a mechanism G for manipulatingthe dancing figures O, the platform B, the curtain D, and other parts ifdesired, such, for instance, as the wings or flies, footlights, &c. Themotor F also actuates a music-box H, in the form of the usual Swissmusic-box, located in the rear of the lower part A of the casing A.

A coin passing down the chute E strikesdriving-shaft of the motor F.Thus when thelever E swings downward the wind-wheel shaft G is releasedand the motor F is released to actuate the mechanism G and the variousparts connected therewith. When the arm E swings downward past the lowerend of the chute E, then the coin drops out of the chute and through thelower part A of the casin g into a delivery-chute E extending downwardto a suitable box, in which the coins accumulate. The lever E isbalanced so as to stand in either a lowermost or uppermost position, anda return movement of the lever is accomplished, as hereinafter morefully described, to lock the wind-wheel shaft G of the mechanism G.

The motor F and mechanism G are preferably mounted on the same frameworkor casing F, and the motor is provided with a winding-shaft F forwinding up the spring in the barrel, and with a driven sha'ft Fconnected by a gear-wheel F ratchet-Wheel F and pawl F with thewinding-shaft, so that the winding up of the latter does not affect thedriven shaft and gear-wheel F The latter is connected by a train ofgear-wheels (see Fig. 3) with the mechanism G, and the driven shaft Fbesides carrying cams, as hereinafter more fully described, is connectedby gearwheels with the music-box H to actuate the latter so long as themotor is in unlocked position.

The platform B is hung at its ends on springs B and is provided at itsmiddle with a bracket B connected by springs 13 with the sides of thelower part A of the stagefloor B. This construction is fully set forthin the patent above referred to, and the action of the platform, owingto the suspended springs, need not further be described.

Movement is given to the platform in the following manner: To thefrontend of the platform is pivoted a link I, connected with a lever I,fulcrumed at I to the front of the motor;casing, and the free end ofthis lever l is adapted to be engaged successively by pins 1 projectingfrom a disk 1*, and arranged in a circle thereon, said disk beingsecured on the front end of a shaft 1 journaled in the motor-casing andgeared with the gearing of the mechanism G, so that when the latter isactuated the shaft 1* is rotated, and the pins 1 in successivelystriking the free end of the lever 1, cause the latter to swingdownward, so that a downward pull is eX- erted on the platform B by thelink I. As soon as the pin 1 passes over the free end of the lever Ithen the springs supporting the platform B cause the latter to suddenlymove upward, back into its normal position. As the pins I strike the endof the lever I very rapidly a very quick and continuous vibrating actionis given to the platform B, so that the jointed dancing figures C areactuated and dance.

The curtain D, previously mentioned, is provided at its lower end with aweighted bar D, carrying at its ends suitable bearingsfitted to slide onguide-rods D secured on the rear side of the front of the casing A asplainly indicated in Fig. 1. The curtain winds and unwinds on a roller Djournaled in the sides of the casing A and carrying a gearwheel D inmesh with a larger gear-wheel D carrying a drum D", on which winds arope D extending downwardly and over a number of guide-pulleys D (seeFigs. 2 and 3,) to then pass and wind upon a drum D secured on a shaftJ, journaled in suitable bearings in the frame of the mechanism G.

On theshaft J (see Figs. 5 and 6) is secured a large gear-wheel J, inmesh with a pinion J mounted to rotate loosely on a shaft G, formingpart of the mechanism G and driven from the motor F by the gearing, sothat a continuous rotary motion is given to said shaft G as long as themotor F is in operation. A clutch K, held to slide on the shaft G, isadapted to engage and rotate the pinion J so as to drive the latter, andconsequently the gear-wheel J. As the latter is rotated the shaft J isset in motion and the drum D winds the rope D so that the gearwheel D isrotated, and with it the attached drum D ,1:o revolve the roller Dthrough the pinion D on the end of said roller, and wind up the curtainD. This motion takes place as soon as the coin has passed through thechute,

E and actuated the arm E, as previously described.

The clutch K is engaged by a slotted arm K, pivoted at K to theframework F, (see Figs. 3 and 5,) and the said slotted arm is pressed onat its free end by a spring K so as to hold said arm in engagement witha wedge K formed on one end of a bar K mounted to slide longitudinallyand provided for this purpose with slots K engaged by screws K held onthe framework F for the motor F and mechanism G. The outer end of thisbar K is engaged by the free end of a lever L, fulcrumed on a rod L andprovided at its bottom with a pin L engaging a lever L fulcrumed at Land adapted to be tripped by a cam N. Now, when the bar K is pushed tothe right by the action of the lever L, the arm K is caused to swingrearwardly, so as to move the clutch K in engagement with the pinion J 2and rotate the latter, as previously described. When the lever Lreleases the bar K a spring K pulling on the said bar, draws the latterto the left, back latter is then at a standstill, and the curtaincandrop by its weighted bar D as soon as a pawl J 5 is lifted out ofengagement with a ratchet-wheel J secured on the shaft J alongside thegear-wheel J. The pawl J 5 is springpressed and is connected by a link 0with a lever O, fulcrumed at O and engaged at its free end by a cam-arm0 secured on a shaft 0*, connected by suitable gearing to the motor F,so as to rotate in unison therewith. Thus, when the latter is turned,the arm 0 imparts a swinging motion to the lever O to lift the pawl Jout of engagement with the ratchet-wheel J", so that the shaft J is freeto rotate and permit an unwinding of the rope D from the drum D.Normally, however, the arm 0 is in an uppermost position, to permit thespring J 6 of the pawl to press the latter in engagement with theratchet-wheel J.

As illustrated in the drawings, two dancing figures 0 are providedhaving jointed legs and arms and supported on rods O,extendingobliquely, as indicated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, each of the rods 0 beingsecured or formed on the upper end of a vertically-disposed shaft 0journaled in suitable bearings on the casing part A. The lower end ofeach shaft 0 is provided with an arm 0 formed in its free end with aslot, and the two slots of the arms 0 are engaged by a pin 0 engaging atransversely-extending rod-O (see Fig. 3,) fitted to slide transverselyin suitable bearings attached to the bottom of the casing part A. Theforward end of the rod 0 is pivotally connected with one arm of abell-crank lever 0, connected by a link 0 with an arm P, hung on a shaftP and arranged to be actuated by a cam Q, operatively connected to themotor F. Now it will be seen that when a swinging motion is given to thelever P from the cam Q the link 0 imparts a swinging motion to thebell-crank lever 0 and the latter bypushing the rod 0 rearwardly causesa swinging of the arm 0 a turning of the shaft 0 and a swinging of therods 0, so that the two figures 0 swing from opposite sides of the stageupon the platform B, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. The rods 0 aresufficiently fiexible to permit the figures to stand with their feet onthe platform B, and as the latter is vibrated, as previously described,the figures commence to dance. The performance continues until the cam Qhas made a revolution, at which time a swinging of the lever P is had inthe opposite direction, so that the shafts C are turned in the oppositedirection to cause the figures C to move from the platform back to thesides of the stage into the flies or wings. When this takes place, thepawl J 5 is lifted, as previously explained, to permit the curtain D todrop. At the same time the extension-arm E of the stop-lever E isactuated by a pin on the cam Q, so that the said lever is moved in theposition shown in Fig. 4 to engage the arm G of the Wind-wheel shaft G2to lock the mechanism G, and consequently the motor F. The music thenstops playing, and the above-described operation is only repeated whenanother coin is passed into the chute E.

In order to prevent the rods 0 from being seen by the onlookers, Iprovide a mirror R, arranged in an inclined position at the back of thefigures, as plainly shown in Fig. 1.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. A mechanical theater, comprising a movableplatform, supports carrying figures and movable independently of theplatform to carry the figures to different points of the platform,mechanism for imparting vibrating motion to the platform, and means formoving the supports of the figures, substantially as described.

2. A mechanical theater, comprising a stage having a vibrating platformin its fioor, and swinging arms carrying figures at their free ends andadapted to move said figures from the wings of the stage upon saidplatform and back again, substantially as shown and described.

3. A mechanicaltheater, comprising a platform, arms carrying figures,and mounted to swing about approximately vertical pivots and operativelyconnected to move simultaneously but in opposite directions so as toapproach and recede from each other, and mechanism for actuating thesaid arms to carry the figures toward each other and from each other,substantially as described.

4:- A mechanical theater, comprising a stage, a coin-controlledmechanism, a motor for drivin g said mechanism, and a platform mountedon springs and connected with said mechanism for imparting a vibratingmotion to the said platform, substantially as shown and described.

- 5. A mechanical theater,comprising a stage, a coin-controlledmechanism, means for driving said mechanism, arms mounted to swing andadapted to be actuated from said mechanism, said arms carrying figuresmoved from the wings to and upon the stage and back again, and aplatform mounted on springs and connected with said mechanism, to causesaid figures to dance while standing on the platform, substantially asshown and described.

6. A mechanical theater, comprising a stage, a coin-controlledmechanism, amotor for the same, a platform mounted on springs andforming part of the stage-floor, means for agitating said platform fromsaid mechanism, a curtain for said stage and controlled from saidmechanism, and arms carrying figures adapted to be moved from the wingsto the said platform and back again, substantially as shown anddescribed.

THOMAS B. THORNDYKE.

Witnesses Tnno. G. HOSTER, JNo. M. BITTER.

